CASTELLI Cycling Podcast

What does it take to win the toughest ultra gravel race in the world? Rob Britton takes us inside his record-breaking victory at the 2025 Unbound XL, the brutal 350-mile self-supported gravel race across Kansas. Rob breaks down the key decisions that helped him average over 20 mph for nearly 18 hours and smash the previous course record by more than two hours.  From aerodynamics and nutrition...

To celebrate 150 years of innovation, Castelli unveils a special edition Giro d’Italia kit—blending heritage, performance, and cutting-edge design. In this episode, we sit down with Castelli Global Brand Manager Steve Smith to unpack the story behind the anniversary jersey worn by Soudal Quick-Step. From silk jerseys and the first-ever speed suit to aerodynamic breakthroughs and modern race-day te...

Full-time school teacher by day, ultra gravel powerhouse by night — Svenja Betz is redefining what’s possible in endurance sport. She didn’t just take on the biggest races in ultra gravel — she won them all. First Unbound XL, then The Traka Adventure, and Badlands. Her rise has been anything but conventional. She doesn’t train full-time. She doesn’t follow the typical pro playbook. And she doesn’t...

In part two of our conversation with sports performance nutritionist Dani Hofstetter, we go beyond theory and into the real-world habits that actually improve endurance performance. From properly fueling long and double training days to understanding why most athletes underestimate their glycogen needs, this episode breaks down what really matters when it comes to carbohydrate intake, recovery, an...

Carbs, fueling, and metabolic efficiency – few topics create more confusion in endurance sports. Sports performance nutritionist Dani Hofstetter joins us to clear it up. Fresh off the release of his new book Train, Eat, Repeat, Dani shares a practical, no-BS approach to nutrition – cutting through the noise of extreme diets, high-carb trends, and supplement hype. You’ll learn why most amateur athl...

In this episode, we sit down with Merida Miller – founder of Project Fearless, community builder with No Ordinary Women, TEDx speaker, gravel athlete, and self-described professional hype girl. Mérida has made it her life’s work to empower young girls and gender-fluid youth to try new things, fall, and get back up again. From skateparks and classrooms, she has spent the past seven years helping gi...

Stick around for the final moments of the interview. You won’t regret it. A must-listen for photographers, creatives, cyclists, and anyone curious about what happens beyond the barriers.  In this final chapter with Ashley and Jered Gruber, we go fully inside the work. What does it really take to create meaningful images in professional cycling — when conditions aren’t perfect, expectations ar...

In part two with Ashley and Jered Gruber we unpack how their journey into cycling photography truly began. From a chance meeting sparked by a flat tire in Athens, Georgia, to moving to Europe with no real plan, a €1,500 car, and a pocket-sized camera, this episode traces the early years that shaped their visual language. Jered and Ashley share how racing dreams shifted into storytelling, why lands...

Many of you have watched their work evolve over the years, shaping how modern cycling is seen and remembered. I’ve been lucky enough to have a front-row seat to that journey. Today, I’m joined by Ashley and Jered Gruber — a husband-and-wife photography duo and two of the most influential visual storytellers in the world of cycling. From their early years to the biggest races on the calendar, I’ve...

Joe Laverick was one of the standout British talents through his junior years and earned a place on one of the top development teams in cycling: Hagens Berman Axeon. He spent two seasons there under the guidance of the world-renowned Axel Merckx. Joe had hoped to make the jump to the WorldTour, but things didn’t fall into place, and he found himself without a contract at the end of 2022 — facing a...

In part two of our conversation with French powerhouse Paul Magnier of Soudal–Quick-Step — one of the brightest young stars in professional cycling — we dive deep into the art of sprinting. Paul pulls back the curtain on the final 1,000 meters: how to read chaos, trust the lead-out, and time the winning move. We dig into aero gains — from wind-tunnel insights and bar-width experiments to 56×11 gea...

Strap in — because today’s episode is an absolute sprint-finish thriller! We’re joined by one of the most exciting young riders in world cycling: Paul Magnier of Soudal–Quick-Step — a 21-year-old French powerhouse already rewriting what’s possible in the pro peloton. In just two seasons, Magnier has exploded to the top tier of world cycling with 24 victories, making him statistically the most succ...

Have you ever wondered what life is really like for a directeur sportif? Here’s your chance. Davide “Brama” Bramati—ex-pro and longtime Quick-Step DS—is one of the WorldTour’s most passionate and entertaining voices. From his racing days in the ‘90s and 2000s to becoming one of Quick-Step’s longest-serving directeurs sportifs, Brama opens the doors to life inside the race car and the team bus. We...

Discover Polartec® AirCore™ — the revolutionary fabric that’s lightweight, breathable, PFAS-free, and made from recycled materials, designed to keep you dry from the inside out. Watch interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-EFOAr534V4 As the industry’s first advanced air-permeable laminate, AirCore™ combines stretch, windproofing, and water repellency with nanofiber technology that actively vents...

Riding in the summer heat can turn a dream ride into a survival mission if you don’t fuel and hydrate correctly. In this episode, we're joined by returning guest and sports performance nutritionist, Dani Hofstetter, to break down how to fuel and hydrate smarter for hot weather training and racing. From carb absorption to sodium losses, cramping, gut tolerance, sweat testing, and post-ride recovery...

In this episode, we sit down with one of the brightest young talents in professional cycling — Valentin Paret-Peintre. At just 24, he’s already claimed stage victories at the Giro d’Italia, the Tour of Oman, and made history as the fifth Frenchman ever to win atop Mont Ventoux during his maiden Tour de France. Join us for a relaxed and insightful conversation recorded during pre-season camp, as Va...

They were just two kids from Wortegem, riding bikes after school, never dreaming they’d one day end up in the pro peloton together. In this episode of the Castelli Podcast, we sit down with Belgian sprint sensation Tim Merlier and his lifelong friend and trusted lead-out man Bert Van Lerberghe, a duo bonded by years of shared rides, muddy cyclocross circuits, and quiet ambition. From their humble...

In this special Tour de France episode, we're joined by two of the sharpest minds in performance cycling: Koen Pelgrim, Head of Performance at Soudal Quick-Step, and Steve Smith, Castelli Brand Manager and driving force behind the Scorpion’s aero innovation. Recorded just ahead of the Tour’s Grand Départ, the episode dives deep into the world of wind tunnel testing and the relentless pursuit of ma...

Join us as we dive into the cutting-edge world of aerodynamic cycling apparel with Steve Smith, Castelli Brand Manager, Lifelong Marginal Gainer. From the evolution of the iconic maglia rosa for the Giro d’Italia to the latest innovative firsts, Steve shares how rider feedback, wind tunnel testing, and meticulous design come together to create high-performance gear. We explore the behind-the-scene...

Dive into the thrilling history of the Giro d’Italia and its most iconic symbol—the Maglia Rosa. From its origins in 1909 to the groundbreaking innovations Castelli introduced to the peloton, we celebrate the legends, the legacy, and the evolution of cycling’s most coveted jersey. Discover how the race began, why pink became the color of victory, and how Castelli helped revolutionize performance c...

In this episode, we sit down with Samuel Sánchez, a legend of the sport and Olympic gold medalist, to reflect on his remarkable career and the evolution of the sport over the past three decades. Samuel takes us through his journey from a young aspiring cyclist to Olympic champion, sharing insights into the highs and lows of his career. He talks about his 18 years in the pro peloton, racing for jus...

Yves Lampaert is more than just a Roubaix warrior—he’s a farmer’s son with deep Belgian roots, a love for tractors, and a passion for the Queen of the Classics. In this episode, we go beyond the finish line to explore the brutal beauty of Paris-Roubaix, Yves’ rise through the ranks at Soudal Quick-Step, and the surprising parallels between farming and cycling. From Tour de France yellow jersey glo...

This week, we bring you an inspiring story of resilience, talent, and the relentless pursuit of a dream. Our guest, Kim Le Court Pienaar, is a rising star in the Women’s World Tour, proving that it’s never too late to chase greatness. When Kim turned pro, many riders have already made their mark—Kim wasted no time in doing the same. In her debut season, she secured a stage win at the Giro d’Italia...

French sensation Paul Magnier has taken the pro peloton by storm, and now the 20-year-old is set to support Soudal Quick-Step into the northern classics. With his explosive power, endurance, and fast finishing kick, could he be the next Tom Boonen or Bernard Hinault?  In this episode, we break down Magnier’s rapid rise, his potential in sprints and Monuments, and how he handles outside p...

Whether you’re a passionate cyclocross fan or just curious about the sport, this episode is packed with insights, inspiration, and everything that makes bike racing such a dynamic and evolving discipline. Today, we’re joined by Antoine Huby, a rising talent in cycling from the Brittany region of France. Antoine made a name for himself in cyclocross, winning the U23 French Championship in 2021, bef...